Monday, March 28, 2011

The Presque Isle, one of the thirteen 1000 foot Lakers, enters the icy Duluth Harbor in the calm twilight of a 32 degree evening. The boat will be picking up a load of taconite at the CN/DMIR Ore Docks.

FYI - This picture was taken from a remote controlled helicopter outfitted with a small camera and flown over the harbor.

Friday, March 25, 2011

With the powerful storm off Lake Superior moving east, the Duluth-Superior harbor traffic is beginning to pick up for the season. As with most early springtime shipping, there is a bit of ice to contend with.
Here, the James R Barker pushes through an ice field as it leaves port.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Although the heavy snow for the forecast blizzard never developed, the wind stirred up Lake Superior into a frenzy. 50-60MPH winds made for a brisk walk along the Lakewalk. The first image display is available as a free wallpaper here.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Duluth, Minn., USA—Local maritime traffic through the Port of Duluth-Superior is set to commence tomorrow (March 17) with the scheduled afternoon departure of the season’s first laker, the James R. Barker. Having spent winter layup at MERC’s Superior Midwest Energy Terminal, the vessel will be loaded with coal headed for Presque Isle, Mich. This is the third consecutive year that the Barker has been the first outbound vessel; she departed last year on March 20.

One more entry in the Duluth-Superior record books will be made shortly after the Soo Locks open on March 25, when the Port’s first inbound laker arrives after having transited those locks. Early indicators point to the night of March 26 (or early morning March 27) as the official start to the 2011 Great Lakes commercial navigation season in the Twin Ports. The Soo Locks, located at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., are the gateway that allows huge lakers to moving raw materials like iron ore, coal, limestone, cement and salt between Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes.

In advance of the locks opening, operators will fit-out five other lakers that wintered in Duluth-Superior and plan to sail this season, including: American Century, American Integrity, John G. Munson,Roger Blough, and American Spirit. All are currently scheduled to load/depart between March 23-25. Some final repairs need to be completed on the H. Lee White prior to sailing in mid-April; three other lakers (American Victory, Adam E. Cornelius and Edward L. Ryerson) are not scheduled to sail at this time and will remain at Fraser Shipyards.

It’s a bit harder to predict the arrival of the Port’s first oceangoing vessel – the first “saltie” to transit the full St. Lawrence Seaway. The Seaway locks (the Montreal/Lake Ontario section and the Welland Canal) will reopen for business this season on March 22, but the Port of Duluth-Superior won’t see its first saltie arrive for a few weeks. That “first ship” to pass beneath the Aerial Lift Bridge will be greeted by maritime officials with a welcoming ceremony and will also qualify a winner for the annual “First Ship Contest” sponsored by the Duluth Seaway Port Authority and

Visit Duluth. Last year, the Port’s first saltie was the Federal Elbe on April 7; the previous year it was the Medemborg on April 12. The Port’s earliest recorded arrival of an oceangoing ship was the Indian-flagged LT Argosy on April 1, 1995.

“Overall tonnage for the Port of Duluth-Superior was up 28 percent at the close of the 2010 navigation season compared to the previous year when we were hardest hit by the recession,” noted Adolph Ojard, executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority. “Led by an 80 percent rebound in iron ore shipments for steelmaking, the Port also saw strong performances in limestone, coal and wind turbine components, coupled with a 68 percent surge in grain exports. As long as consumer confidence continues to improve and this nation’s economic recovery can be sustained, we should see another strong navigation season in 2011 and continue to build back to more typical season averages over the course of the next couple of years.”

Monday, March 7, 2011

When ice breaking begins in the harbor, springtime is not far off. The CGC Alder began operations today and the view of the first ship in the harbor for the season is always a welcome sight.

The 225-foot ALDER, is one of the most advanced vessels afloat, integrating the latest technological developments in computers, navigation, environmental protection, and remote monitoring systems.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The image below is my favorite for the day and I have added it to the Wallpaper Gallery as a free wallpaper download.Click here to visit the Northern Images Wallpaper Gallery and follow the instructions to download the size that best fits your monitor.

The Coast Guard Cutter Alder will begin ice breaking operations in the Duluth-Superior Harbor today.
The cameras are ready to roll!
The wraps are off the Aerial Lift Bridge as it prepares for operation.
Happy Spring!